Away from tawdry politics, meltdown neurosis about the state of the world and flim flam celebrities, there is the inspiring and remarkable tale of Charlie Dalin, a French offshore sailor. Having been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer, he decided against the odds to compete in and won the Vendée Globe yacht race around the world last year. He took 64 days plus a few hours, beating the previous record by 9 days while taking immunotherapy pills.
It is the world’s toughest solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world yacht race, often called the “Everest of the Seas,” rounding the three great capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Cape Horn) and is regarded as a legendary human adventure of endurance. Held every four year, about 40 professional sailors take part with nearly half never finishing, many capsize. One was never found.
Since finishing last year he has since undergone surgery.
Born 10 May 1984 4.50pm Harfleur, France, he was brought up by a single mother who worked as a bus driver and a sales assistant and a local sailing club loaned him a boat.
He has an extraordinarily fixed and enduring chart with an 8th house Sun Venus in Taurus opposition Mars Saturn in Scorpio with Pluto in Scorpio as well. His 12th house Virgo Moon is trine a 4th house Jupiter in Capricorn trine his Venus Sun in an Earth Grand Trine, formed into a Kite by Sun Venus opposition Mars Saturn. Stubborn to the nth degree in terms of hanging on through thick and thin, disciplined and willing to put up with cruel conditions (Mars Saturn).
With Mars in Scorpio as a leading planet off the Grand Trine/Kite he will be competitive/ambitious to an extreme degree and it was evidently coming in second in the previous Vendee which pushed him to compete last year, while suffering the debilitating effects of cancer and its treatment.
His chart also has a focus on Earth with its knack of coping with practicalities.
His Neptune is conjunct his IC so living beside the sea will be his ideal but it is not strong in his chart.
His chart reminded me of Chay Blyth, the Scottish lone round-the-world yachtsman, born 14 May 1940, 4.30am Hawick, Scotland. He was also a Sun Taurus in his case conjunct Uranus with Mercury Saturn also in Taurus, plus Neptune in Virgo in his 6th house and a Capricorn Midheaven.
I met him years ago and quizzed him about his chart, surprised to see so much Taurus and feet-on-the-ground energy, and asked how he coped. What stuck in mind was he said he had ‘no imagination’ which he thought helped with potential risks. He handled whatever happened and got on with it and did not spend time thinking about the worst that could happen.
ADD ON: Skipping down a list of women solo sailors there is a smattering of Virgo planets though a less obvious Earth weighting. Pluto appears strongly in most.
Jeanne Socrates – Mars Mercury Neptune in Virgo with a Leo Sun conjunct Pluto.
Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was a Sun Pluto in Cancer trine Saturn in Pisces with Mars Mercury also in Cancer. Neptune in Virgo and Uranus in Taurus.
Ellen McArthur also Cancer Sun conjunct Venus square Pluto. Jupiter in Taurus and Mars in Virgo.
Kay Cottee Sun Mercury in Aquarius with Mars in Scorpio square Pluto.
Naomi James, Sun Mars in Pisces inconjunct Pluto; with Saturn in Virgo and Jupiter in Capricorn. Four other planets in Air.
Thanks Marjorie for this look at a brave saiilor. I’m astounded by all that Earth energy finding its purpose out on the sea! A fried is in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest women to circumnavigate, and is out sailing solo, again, this time stopping en route all the places she sailed past on her circumnavigation. Of British descent, Jeanne Socrates called Victoria, BC, Canada home before starting out on her journeys and is currently in Tasmania. Her chart would be interesting to look at, too.
A recreational sailor I know sent me back this comment about Dalin and his fellow competitors, “All solo round the world sailors are from a different planet.”
I suppose we could look to the outer planets for individual confirmation. 🙂
Oh this is interesting. I know someone, a painter, amazing artist, who has no ability to visualize. She has a grand trine in Earth. I asked her if she can see things in her mind as she paints them and she said no….she just paints what she sees through her physical senses. She also never looks before she leaps in life….never thinks of consequences. It never occurred to me this is how Earth can manifest. Interesting stuff.
Can Saturn and Pluto in Scorpio mean a very fixed determination to master the unknown? Also his Neptune is in Capricorn on his IC sextile his Pluto. A deep unconscious yearning? There may have been an infinity with water to prove himself. As it is interesting that Cancer is on his MC – ruler of the stomach and intestines. His journey may have been an innate feeling to do this for his strength? To win his personal battle and to prove to himself that he could master his Cancer? As he has had the operation since returning! His Sun in the 8th house ( ruled by Pluto) in trine to his Moon in the 12th ( ruled by Neptune) strengthening both Neptune and Pluto. The Moon rules Cancer, which is in his MC. The Sun in Taurus rules the 2nd house, which is where a Pluto is. Water, healing, endurance and determination is very strong in his Chart.
There’s a wonderful article about Charlie Dalin in yesterday’s Washington Post. Here’s a “gift” link to this article, which I found inspirational, with fascinating videos. A great read!
“https://wapo.st/4qk8LoH”
Thanks Nicole, Helen and Marjorie, so interesting!
not sure why but that link won’t work for me — thank you for the thought anyhow!
I’ll try again. It should work as a “gift” article with a free link through the paywall. Perhaps try it without the quote marks? I’ve understood from others that the quotation marks are needed to post it here. A beautiful piece of multimedia journalism.
“https://wapo.st/4sN7qIK”